A teenager with cerebral palsy has been banned from flying alone by an airline after being ordered to leave a flight for “not sitting in his seat properly”.

David Bysooa, 16, from Surbiton, was removed from an Air Mauritius flight at Heathrow after he became unsettled when he was given an aisle seat instead of the window seat his mother Vidulah had booked.

David was travelling alone to visit his grandparents in Mauritius, something he has done on his own with the airline more than a dozen times.

Each time the teenager had travelled in a window seat as it makes him feel more relaxed.

But after being given an aisle seat on the full flight David, who has mild autism and learning disabilities, kept leaning over the woman next to him while the plane was still on the runway.

When the passenger complained, the crew were unable to find an alternative seat.

When he became upset he was ordered to leave the plane at the request of the captain and led back to his parents in the terminal.

Mrs Bysooa today accused the airline of discrimination.

The 47-year-old, who works with the reservations department of Kenyan Airlines at Heathrow, said: “The way my son was treated was appalling.

"This is someone who frequently flies with the airline and is well known. They should have understood why he needed to have a window seat.

“He is more than capable of flying on his own but the way he was discriminated against is disgraceful.”

She has raised the matter with the Civil Aviation Authority. David was not offered a refund for the missed flight by Air Mauritius.

In an email to support worker Tom Quilter of Achieving for Children, which has taken up Mrs Bysooa’s complaint, Air Mauritius said it could not guarantee specific seats on its aircraft.

David leaning over the “nervous flyer” who had booked the window seat had created “a very uncomfortable atmosphere”. It added: “I can assure you that the decision was not taken lightly.”